Written Answers to Questions

Wednesday 14 November 2001

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Lager Sales (Refreshment Department)

Mr. Martyn Jones:
To ask the Chairman of the Catering Committee how many barrels of Carlsberg Lager and Carlsberg Export Lager were sold by the House of Commons Refreshment Department in 2000. [14139]

Mr. Dennis Turner:
It is difficult to give a precise answer to my hon. Friend's question, as figures are not kept in the form requested. However, I am able to inform him that in the 12-month period from April 2000 until March 2001, the House of Commons Refreshment Department purchased 210 11-gallon barrels of Carlsberg Lager. Barrels are purchased in response to demand, and it is reasonable to assume that the number of barrels sold is similar to the number purchased.

TRANSPORT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND

THE REGIONS

Walton Group Plc

Mrs. Ellman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much money is owed to his Department by Walton Group Plc in respect of Exchange Flags Liverpool; and if he will make a statement. [12620]

Ms Keeble:
The Department is pursuing a civil claim against the Walton Group plc and Todd and Benn (Contractors) Ltd. to recover the full city grant value of £4,444,782. In addition, it is seeking interest totalling £2,603,062 as of 9 November 2001, and a claim for legal fees, costs and expert fees that are estimated at 8 November 2001 to be £280,000 (inclusive of VAT).

Yellow School Bus Pilot

Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what plans he has to extend the yellow school bus pilot; and if he will make a statement; [12305]

(2) what research has been conducted (a) by and (b) on behalf of his Department on the yellow school bus pilot scheme; and when the results are to be published; [12303]

(3) in which local authorities the yellow school bus pilot scheme is in operation; and if he will make a statement; [12302]

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(4) how much his Department has spent on the yellow school bus pilot scheme in financial years 200001 and 200102; and how much expenditure is projected for financial years 200203 and 200304; [12304]

Mr. Edwards:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement about the pilot project for the introduction of yellow buses for home-to-school transport. [12317]

Ms Keeble:
My Department has facilitated the introduction of American-style yellow school buses by agreeing to grant exemption from some of the provisions of the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations to enable pilot schemes to operate. The first such scheme is expected to start in Calderdale in the new year. My Department will collect base line data near the start of pilot schemes, and will evaluate them, probably after about a year's operation. The results of the evaluations will be published. The Department has incurred no costs so far other than staff time in considering the case for exemptions from regulations. Future costs will be staff time plus consultancy fees for data collection and evaluation. The level of these costs will depend on the number of pilot schemes, which will be a matter for agreement between local authorities and operators.

PowerShift Register

Mr. Chaytor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he will publish the amended version of the PowerShift Register to incorporate the extension of the LPG conversion grant scheme to include vehicles up to five years old; and if he will make a statement. [12093]

Mr. Jamieson [holding answer 5 November 2001]: The PowerShift programme is administered on behalf of my Department by the Energy Saving Trust. The updated version of the PowerShift Register, now covering vehicle models up to five years old, is available on the Trust's website at www.est-powershift.org.uk. Grants for these vehicles are now available and the website provides full information on how they can be claimed. Information is also available on the Trust's telephone hotline on 0845 602 1425.

New Deal for Communities

Vera Baird:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has for a further round of New Deal for Communities funding to assist the regeneration of post-industrial areas of intense social deprivation. [13673]

Ms Keeble:
There are no plans for a third round of New Deal for Communities (NDC) funding. The Government are fully committed to the NDC programme and to tackling multiple deprivation in some of the most deprived neighbourhoods in the country, including many in post-industrial areas, to bridge the gap between these neighbourhoods and the rest of the country.

The Neighbourhood Renewal Unit is in the process of rolling out a range of programmes that will build on the lessons learned through NDC and strengthen and improve core public services in deprived areas.

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Concessionary Fares (Coaches)

Mr. Blizzard:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent meetings he has had with representatives of coach operators to discuss proposals for a half-fare concessionary scheme for pensioners on long distance coach journeys; and if he will make a statement. [13684]

Ms Keeble:
We announced on 5 November our approval in principle of a proposal from the Commission for Integrated Transport under which coach operators would offer half-price fares to older and disabled passengers on long distance scheduled coach services in England. In return operators wouldfor the first timereceive Fuel Duty Rebate.

My Department has already had initial discussions with the Confederation of Passenger Transport about this proposal and we look forward to further discussions with them shortly on the details of its implementation.

Local Government Pension Scheme

Harry Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 24 October 2001, Official Report, column 228W, on best value, how many building direct labour organisations transferred to the private sector have been given admitted-body status to the local government pension scheme; and what pension provision will be made for those which will not remain in the LGPS. [13811]

Dr. Whitehead:
Information about the transfer of building direct labour organisations (DLOs) to the private sector is not held centrally. When a local authority function is outsourced and the new contractor chooses not to seek admitted-body status within the local government pension scheme, transferred employees should be offered broadly comparable pension arrangements.

Mr. Flight:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to reform local government final salary pension schemes. [14696]

Dr. Whitehead:
There are no plans to change the current benefit package provided by the local government pension scheme.

Mr. Flight:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what was the total cost of local government final salary pensions in the last financial year. [14697]

Dr. Whitehead:
In 200001, pensions paid to members of the local government pension scheme totalled £3.5 billion.

Public-Private Partnerships

Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the projects which have been considered as potential public-private partnerships since 1997 which have not been undertaken because the public sector comparator had a lower net present value than the public private partnership proposed; and if he will make a statement. [13455]

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Dr. Whitehead:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 13 November 2001, Official Report, column 607W. There are no cases of potential PPP projects within my department, or the former DETR, not being undertaken because the public sector comparator had a lower net present value.

English Partnerships Land Holdings

David Wright:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the scale of English Partnerships land holdings is; and which proportion is earmarked for new housing in (a) Telford and (b) England. [13462]

Ms Keeble:
In September 2001, English Partnerships owned a total of 5,700 hectares of land in England, 820 hectares (14 per cent.) of which was in Telford.

Of the overall total, 970 hectares (17 per cent.) is designated for housing in planning terms (ie it either has specific planning consent or is designated as such in the local plan). In Telford, 216 hectares (3.8 per cent.) were designated for housing.